1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a gripping aid or gripping training device to teach and enable a person to properly grip a hand held implement.
2. Background of the Art
There are many persons, such as very young children and those suffering from autism, traumatic brain injury, developmental delays or cognitive impairment, or other handicapped persons such as those suffering from physical injuries or medical conditions, who find it difficult to hold an implement, such as a writing implement or eating utensil, in the proper manner.
The ability to write is an integral part of participating in modern society. It is important for performing some of the most basic tasks that a person may encounter in daily life. This is why it is the second form of communication taught after the spoken word. Whether it is simply writing one's name, performing a mathematical equation, or a composing a novel, the ability to transfer thoughts into a form that may be shared and communicated with others is undeniably valuable.
Persons, and in particular young children learning how to write, often grip hand held implements used for writing, drawing and painting improperly. Absent instruction to the contrary, a child will generally grasp a writing implement, such as a pencil, pen or crayon, in a manner that feels the most stable to him or her.
Beginning at age three, and through adulthood, the most stable grasp that still allows precision and proper pencil pressure, is a dynamic “pincer grip”, or “tripod grip”. To achieve such a grip, the individual pinches the implement between the distal pads of the index finger and thumb, and then rests the implement on the lateral distal interphalangeal joint of the middle finger. These three fingers together form the pincer, or tripod. With this grip, these three fingers, supported by arches in the palm of the hand, can utilize precise movements of rotation, flexion and extension to achieve the small movements needed for letter formation or other fine motor activities requiring accuracy. In addition, the space between the thumb and index finger, namely the web space, must be maintained in an open and circular manner to support the dynamic movements of the pincer fingers. The ulnar side of the hand stays in a flexed and quiet position so as to provide a stable base of support from which the pincer can move.
Many individuals develop improper grasping habits by gravitating towards seemingly more stable grasp patterns at the expense of precision. One of the most difficult struggles with teaching a person how to write is forming the correct grip on the writing implement. A natural tendency of a person, particularly one suffering from a handicap, who is handed an implement, especially a writing implement, such as a crayon, pen or pencil, is to hold it in a four finger or fist shaped grip, also known as a “gorilla grip”. Another common improper grasp pattern is the thumb wrap grasp, in which the thumb overlaps the implement. The result when improperly holding a writing implement, is an inactive thumb that pulls in other muscles to compensate, with increased pressure on the writing implement, decreased control of the implement, and increased hand fatigue when writing. Other common improper grasping patterns include hyperextension at the distal interphalangeal joints of the thumb and index finger, which causes increased implement pressure and a tight grasp, resulting in hand fatigue; power grasp in which the implement is held in a fisted manner with the ulnar side of the hand toward the paper, resulting in decreased precision and increased implement pressure; four-finger digital grasp in which all four finger pads touch a writing implement on one side and the thumb pad opposes the fingers on the other side of the writing implement, resulting in decreased control and decreased implement pressure; and internal rotation and adduction of the thumb, resulting in a closed web space, increased implement pressure, increased hand fatigue and poor implement control.
As a result of compensatory grasping patterns, learning how to write properly, legibly, neatly, efficiently, and with enough endurance to complete tasks within a typical time frame, is hindered. Furthermore, efficient use of other hand held implements is impeded. In addition, thumb and finger joints can be subjected to unnecessary stress. These grips make it difficult to perform fine motor movements, which are needed to create alphanumeric shapes. Therefore, gripping a writing implement in the proper writing formation with a “pincer grip”, i.e., using the thumb, index and middle fingers to control the utensil in a controlled and exacting fashion, is important.
Given the importance of a proper grip and writing technique to successful writing, numerous attempts have been made over the years to perfect a device to aid in the proper positioning of an individual's fingers upon a writing implement. Gripping aids for such persons to facilitate the grasping of hand held implements are known in the art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,602,885 to Bischoff discloses an implement holding cuff for assisting a person with poor prehensile ability to hold an implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,423 to Walden is directed to a gripping aid for writing implements and discloses a conical shaped gripping aid which is slidably positioned along the barrel of a writing implement.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,853,210 to Robinson is directed to a pen and instrument holder for physical impaired hands and discloses a glove and a mounting attachment for holding the base of a pen, pencil or other device.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,128,484 to Schulken discloses a gripping aid including arched, oppositely extending thumb wrap-preventing rims.
Generally speaking, these devices have either been for writing aids which provide a “gripping surface” into which the user presses his fingers or writing aids which include a “sleeve” which encase one or more of the digits of the user. However, devices utilizing these approaches have inherent drawbacks which have prevented their general acceptance.
What is yet needed is a device which serves as a training tool to correct the grip of the individual to a proper writing formation, or pincer grip, for holding writing implements or eating utensils while providing adjustability to accommodate various levels of support and different size hands. Prior art devices do not provide such features.